Ash receptacle closure



United States Patent ASH RECEPTACLE CLOSURE Burrill Ruskay, New York, N. Y. Application March 5, 1953, Serial No. 340,419 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-205) This invention relates to a closure for an ash receptacle, and more particularly for a receptacle for the ashes of cigars, cigarettes, and pipes.

The device is designed for use in connection with an ash receptacle, such as a bowl or the like, of any suitable material, size and shape, having an opening at its top for detachably receiving the closure.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a closure that serves to dump the ashes into a receptacle.

Another object is to provide a closure which is readily attachable to or detachable from the receptacle so that either or both the receptacle and the closure may be emptied and cleaned when necessary.

Another object is to provide a closure that is easy to operate, and that will snuff out or extinguish any butts discharged into the receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a closure that is simple and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a closure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 33 of Figure 1; and

Fig. 4 is an end view, of Fig. 2.

The device, in the embodiment illustrated, comprises an oblong or rectangular shaped frame 10, open at its upper and lower ends. Surrounding the upper end is a substantially flat horizontal flange 11 having a downwardly extending rim 12 around its outer edge. The flange 11 may be provided with rests 13 for cigars and cigarettes.

The frame is preferably of a one-piece construction and may conveniently and economically be made of molded fireproof plastic material.

14 is a flat dumper plate, preferably made of the same material as the frame, and of a size and shape to fit diagonally into the opening of the frame. The plate 14 has an integral pivot pin 15 at each end disposed substantially at the center thereof. The plate also has a handle member 16 at substantially the middle of its upper edge. Indentations 17 may be formed in the flange 11 in which the handle 16 seats in either closed position of the plate 14. In either of said positions the upper edge of the plate 14 will bear against an upper inside edge 18 of the frame by spring pressure, as hereinafter described, and its lpwer end will bear against the diagonally opposite lower edge 19 of' the frame. This serves to close the opening tightly and thus by retarding entry of outer air partly in section, on the line 44 2,724,523 Patented Nov. 22, 1955 acts to snutf out or extinguish any lighted butts or particles of tobacco that may be deposited in the receptacle. Since the invention resides in the construction of the closure device itself, and as the receptacle to which it is designed to he applied may be made in various forms and styles, the latter is omitted from the drawings.

The end walls 20 may each be formed with an outwardly protruding reinforcing portion 21 and with a slot 22 that extends upward from the bottom of said wall to a point about half way of its height.

in assembly of the device, the pivot pins 15 of plate 14 are inserted in the slots 22 to the upper limit thereof and a key or wedge 23 is then driven into grooves 24 in the portion 21 so as to hold the pins rotatably in place. For this purpose the keys 23 are preferably cemented or otherwise permanently secured in the grooves.

At one end of the frame, as shown at the left hand end of Fig. 2, the pivot pin 15 carries a cam 25, which cam is fixed to the pin and has a tapered upper portion 26. A leaf spring 27 is mounted on the lower surface of the flange 11 to bear against the tapered portion 26 of the cam 25. The spring by contact with one or the other of the inclined surfaces of the cam serves to snap the plate 14- into either of its diagonal closed positions after it has been moved past dead center and to maintain the plate firmly in such position until it is swung into the opposite closed position.

While I have described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that various modifications may be made in the details of the construction herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claim.

What I claim is:

A closure for an ash receptacle comprising a hollow frame open at its upper and lower ends, a plate having a pivot pin at each of its opposite side edges, said plate being adapted to extend from the inner edge of one upper side of the frame to the inner edge of the diagonally opposite lower side, diametrically opposed slots in the side Walls of the frame extending from the bottom substantially half-way through the height of the frame, said slots each being open at its lower end, closed at its upper end, and having vertical grooves in each side, said pivot pins extending into the slots up to the closed ends thereof to permit swinging of the plate into either of two diagonal positions, a key fixed in the grooves of each slot to secure the pins in place, one of the pins having a cam at its outer end, the upper end of said cam having oppositely inclined cam surfaces that converge toward the upper end of the cam, and an arcuate shaped leaf-spring secured to the frame above the upper end of the cam and bearing down thereupon, whereby on moving the plate in either direction beyond dead center the spring will contact one or the other of the inclined surfaces of the cam to snap the plate into diagonal position with its upper and lower edges pressed firmly against the corresponding edges of the frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,051,219 Grabau Jan. 21, 1913 1,931,015 Wronski Oct. 17, 1933 2,203,960 Hickman June 11, 1940 2,542,987 Brock Feb. 27, 1951 2,660,273 Rogers Nov. 24, 1953 

